Rogers, S
by Shakespeare's Lemonade
Summary: Steve was told his family was dead, while Callen believed he would never know what happened to his. Turns out they were both wrong. With the lines being blurred between what's true and what isn't, Steve and Callen will have to trust each other to save themselves and their friends when they have no one else to turn to. And along the way they might discover what they've been missing.
1. Prologue: 1975

Rogers, S.

Shakespeare's Lemonade

Rating: T

Genre: Adventure/Family/Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Friendship

Summary: Steve was told his family was dead, wiped out in a single day, while Callen believed he would never know what happened to his. Turns out they were both wrong or just plain lied to. With the lines being blurred between what's true and what isn't, Steve and Callen will have to trust each other to save themselves and their friends when they have no one else to turn to. And along the way, they may just discover what they've been missing.

Pairings: past Steve/Clara, Callen/Natasha, Kensi/Deeks, Tony/Pepper

A/N: Thanks to ncisduckie and Autumn Fury for help with this. There is some AU stuff in this story because of timing, so you have been warned.

_Prologue: Langley, Virginia, 1975_

Steve Rogers moved through the halls of the CIA headquarters almost unnoticed. He was not exactly inconspicuous, but it was dark, and late in the evening. He was trying very hard to walk slowly, not to show how anxious he was to hear news of a certain operative in Romania. Steve was not sure if anyone knew the nature of his relationship with Clara Callen, but he wasn't going to make it more obvious if he could help it.

He had always liked Hetty Lange. She was like the cool aunt everyone wanted to visit on summer vacation. If anyone would keep Clara safe, it was Hetty. Steve wasn't worried. He did wonder what would happen when the CIA found out about the kids though. As far as he knew, Clara hadn't told anyone. He hadn't either.

There was one light on in the tiny office as Steve stood in the doorway. The woman herself was actually a bit younger than Steve in years, but she had lived more than he had. Her short brown, hair was perfectly in place as usual, and her mouth set in a line.

Steve tried to act casual. "Back from Romania already, Agent Lange?"

She looked up as if she hadn't heard him come in, but he knew she had. "I did not go." Her voice was low, and Steve could hear the tone of regret.

Though a strange ominous feeling came over him, he still didn't understand. "Why not?"

"The mission was aborted. By the time I was able to check on Clara's whereabouts... I was too late."

"Too late?" That was ridiculous; Hetty never failed at anything. "Has she gone into hiding again?"

Hetty shook her head. "I am not supposed to share this information, but I know you were here friend."

Steve found it difficult to speak. "Were..."

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, Captain Rogers, but Clara Callen is dead." Hetty looked down at her clasped hands on the desk. She didn't say any more.

Steve had to hold back all the questions that threatened to spill out. He wanted to demand to know how it happened, why no one saved her, and where his children were. But he couldn't say those things to Hetty. She didn't know that he had been in Romania until a few years ago. She didn't know that he had been there since before Clara went back and that he was instrumental in her being assigned there in the first place.

"She was all alone." It was vague enough to be a mere regretful sentiment. But that wasn't what he was going for.

"There were two children." Hetty didn't beat around the bush. "No one knows where they are now."

Steve masked his horror with surprise. "What about their father?"

Hetty shook her head. "We don't know who he was. We're still looking into it."

Steve nodded and left without saying anything else. He would find them on his own. He wouldn't give away the secret he had kept so long if he didn't have to.

_New York City, the next day_

Nick Fury and Howard Stark met Steve at a small cafe in Manhattan. He hadn't told them why, but it had been so long since he made contact with S.H.I.E.L.D, and they were rightly concerned. In the last 30 years, Howard had gotten married, had a son, and helped start S.H.I.E.L.D and begun Stark Enterprises. Steve hadn't talked to him much since they found him in the ice about 10 years before. He wasn't upset with Howard for any reason, but they didn't have much in common, and with Peggy gone, there wasn't much to keep them on the same continent for long.

Fury was new to Steve. He had heard his name, and some of his reputation, but if Howard thought he would be of some help, Steve figured it couldn't hurt. S.H.I.E.L.D was known for their discretion after all. Anything Steve said wouldn't leave their table.

There was no small talk. Steve had always been very straightforward, and he had lost a bit of his shyness over the years. He got right to the point as he sat down in an empty chair.

"My wife is dead." There was no emotion, no catch in his throat.

Howard stared. Fury made a point of looking impassive. Steve waited for a response to help him decide how much information to share.

"You're married?" Howard didn't hide his shock.

"I was. She was murdered on a beach on the Black Sea."

Fury raised his eyebrows. "And you're telling us this because?" His voice remained even, flat.

"Because she had been undercover there for years," Steve said. "They were supposed to pull her out two days ago, but the mission got canceled at the last minute, and now the CIA has no idea where my children are."

"You have kids?" Howard made no effort to appear any less than baffled.

Steve glared at him, if Steve could glare, that is. "You are no one to talk."

"Yeah, well..."

Fury leaned forward in his chair. "What is it you want us to do?" he asked.

Steve put his hands on the table. "If the CIA can't find them, I don't have anyone else to ask."

"Oh, so we're your last resort?" Howard said, crossing his arms. "That's nice."

"Don't take it personally. At least I told you the truth."

"Lying to the CIA? We are brave, aren't we?"

"Just find them." Steve stood up. "Then you can consider us even for that little incident in Saigon."

"I was fine." Howard stood up and reached to shake Steve's hand. "But I will find them."

Steve shook the outstretched hand. "Thank you."

_Over the Atlantic Ocean, two days later_

Steve followed Howard through the corridors of the noisy flying machine. It resembled and aircraft carrier, but not quite as big.

"What did you call this thing?" he asked, raising his voice over the din of engines.

"Hellicarrier," Howard responded. "It's kind of a prototype, but it works."

"So my fear of it falling out of the sky is completely unfounded?"

"Battle fatigue?"

"They're calling it post-traumatic stress now, and no."

"Well, no one would blame you."

"It seems that the mind heals just as well as the body."

The two of them ducked through a doorway that was much like what one would find on a ship or submarine. They came into an open room full of machines and monitors. Fury was standing beside one of the technicians in the chairs. Hearing the two men come in, he turned to face Steve as they approached.

"Captain Rogers, we have managed to track down the ones you were looking for." His voice was emotionless, flat. "I'm afraid they were killed along with Clara Callen by Comescu family."

Before he had a chance to feel anything, any shock or pain or anger, Howard's hand was on Steve's shoulder, and he barely whispered "I'm sorry." Then there was nothing.


	2. Aftermath

**Thanks for the reviews and favorites and alerts. I'd love to know what all of you are thinking of this story. I don't really explain the Chameleon thing in this chapter because I have no clue how they plan on solving it in the show. Maybe once the new season airs, I can add details. For now, we'll just imagine it all got resolved somehow. Thanks again to my beta readers. I do so love them. :D  
**

**Chapter One "Aftermath"**

Steve liked Tony Stark. He really did. He was all the good things about Howard without the dishonesty. He was a little too honest sometimes, and he certainly had his flaws, but Steve believed he had found a friend in the self proclaimed genius.

Friend or not, Steve did not like the idea of sticking around New York for S.H.I.E.L.D to suck him in again. They had betrayed him once before, and while he was more than willing to save the world from aliens, he did not trust them, and he wouldn't be working for them on a regular basis if he could help it. It almost made him miss his time with the CIA of all things.

After a few weeks of helping out with the cleanup of the city, Tony seemed to notice Steve's restlessness. He might have chalked it up to endless energy, but Tony was smarter than that. He could tell something was bothering the old guy. And of course he had to say something.

"Ready to kick some alien ass again?" They were standing on the mostly demolished floor of Stark Tower, and Tony had been explaining the renovations he was planning for the Avengers team.

"Why do you say that?" Steve asked, looking out the still broken windows.

"You seem on edge all the time. You should be thankful for once the world _doesn't_ need saving."

"It's not that."

"What? Still don't like the 21st century?"

"It's fine."

"You're gonna make me guess?"

Finally Steve turned around and faced Tony. "It's S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't trust them."

"I think I may have made it clear that I don't either."

"It's not about the weapons or anything that's happened recently. It was back in '75."

"Oh, you mean your decade of consciousness before they put you to sleep again? Why'd they do that, by the way?"

"Guess they didn't need me anymore, and I was in the way."

Tony nodded. "But they wanted to keep you around for a time like this, and of course you'd feel obligated to save the world. Clever bastards."

"Yeah."

"But there's something else?"

"I just want some distance."

Tony snapped his fingers. "I am a genius."

"You've said so before."

"No, I have some business in Malibu this week. I live there, actually. Anyway, you could come along. There's plenty of room, and I'll hardly be home. You can go to the beach or Disneyland or whatever you want."

"I wouldn't want to put you out."

"What did I say?" Tony spread his arms. "I'll hardly be home. Pepper has to stay here, and I have all these boring meetings to go to, and, hey, the company might be nice."

"How much of your soul did you give up by saying that?"

"The jury is still out on whether I have one at all, so I'm not too worried about it."

Steve could almost laugh at that, and it had been a long time since he could laugh with anyone. He did smile as he shook his head. "No it's not."

**NCIS: Avengers**

G. Callen was early to work. He was never early, and Sam was sure it was some kind of message to the people who thought he should be fired after the Chameleon incident. He wasn't going to say anything about that, but he did feel it necessary to mention that Callen wasn't supposed to be back from his mandatory leave yet.

"You're about a week and 30 minutes early, G."

Callen looked up from his desk to face his partner. "Traffic was light this morning."

Sam shook his head. "Do you ever take a vacation seriously?"

"Who takes vacation seriously?"

Sam pointed at himself. "I do. It's important to have a life away from work."

"That's what I have you for."

"Doesn't count."

"What about Kensi and Deeks? They hardly take any time off."

"Yeah, but they don't do much of the heavy lifting, anyway."

Kensi and Deeks had just come into the room to hear themselves being disparaged. That was probably Sam and Callen's intention.

"Hey!" Kensi protested. "I pull my own weight."

"But that's not saying much," Callen said.

Deeks laughed, and she elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow." He rubbed the area as if it hurt far more than it really did.

"Granger's not gonna be happy with you." Sam redirected the conversation.

"When is he happy with anyone?" Callen asked.

"He seems to like me all right," Kensi said.

"Oh yeah, after he thought you were a murderer," Deeks said.

"He's back in Washington, anyway," Callen said. "By the time he gets back, it'll be time for me to be here."

"How do you know where he is?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I called Hetty over the weekend. She said it was safe."

"Enabler," Sam muttered.

"So is there any actual work going on around here?" Deeks asked.

"Not for another 27 minutes, apparently," Callen said.

"Great! Who wants coffee?"

"No, don't let Deeks make it," Sam said, getting up to follow the detective into the kitchen area.

Kensi smirked as she watched them. "He's right. Deeks' coffee tastes like dirt. I think he sucks all the flavor from the beans before he grinds them."

Callen only nodded, forcing a half smile.

"Hey, you okay?" Kensi lowered her voice.

"Yeah." Callen stood up. "Hetty in yet?"

"I think I saw her as we came in."

"Thanks." He nodded to her and headed in the direction of Hetty's office.

As he approached he saw that she already had company. There was a man sitting across from her. He looked big, but it was hard to tell. His fair hair and skin contrasted with the dim tones in the office. Callen stood outside the team's alcove and watched the conversation. Hetty had a serious but calm look on her face. The man also seemed relaxed. As if they knew each other.

Callen waited.

**NCIS: Avengers**

Steve sat in the small chair, trying not to stare at how much his old friend had aged, and yet somehow not changed a bit. She sipped tea and welcomed him with all the kindness she had always possessed toward those she liked.

"You did not fly all the way across the country to see me, Captain Rogers." She sounded pleased to see him, if a bit surprised.

"I'm staying in Malibu with a friend," Steve said. "I thought it would be nice to see you again while I was here."

"How long has it been? No, don't remind me. You did disappear for a while though."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. decided they didn't need me until recently."

Hetty pursed her lips, but didn't say anything.

"How have you been, Hetty?" Steve changed the subject. He really did want to know.

"Well enough," she said. "It's not easy keeping these agents in line, but I wouldn't trade it."

"Sounds a lot like what I've been dealing with."

"I would not have your job for all the tea in China."

"Well, after 70 years, I've gotten pretty good at it."

"And yet you look as fresh as you did in '65. It's hardly fair." She shook her head at the thought that Steve was now 92 years old.

"Trust me, if I'd known of that particular side effect, I would have thought twice about doing it."

Hetty shook her head. "You wouldn't have. I know you wouldn't have."

"You're probably right."

"I often am."

"Does it ever get old?"

"Oh, more than you could possibly imagine. How long are you going to be in the area?"

Steve smiled, knowing what was coming next. "Probably the end of the week."

"Then you must come by tomorrow night. We'll have dinner and catch up on old times."

"Sounds good. I assume your address isn't in the phone book?"

Hetty chuckled and wrote down the street and number on a scrap of paper. "Be sure not to share this classified information with anyone."

Steve took the paper and put it in his shirt pocket. "I'll keep it safe," he promised. "I'm sure you have work to do."

The two of them stood and descended the few steps from Hetty's desk to the main floor. Steve noticed a man standing outside one of the office areas watching them. He looked familiar somehow, but Steve was sure he'd never seen him before.

"Recruiting them a little young, aren't you Hetty?" Callen asked.

"Captain Rogers is an old friend, Mr. Callen," Hetty said. "Was there something you wanted?"

Callen shook his head. "Just good to see you again is all."

"Callen?" Steve said, his mind reeling. He couldn't stop himself.

Hetty jumped in, realizing Steve would recognize the name. "I'll walk you out, Steve." She gave him a light push that he knew meant to get out quickly.

As soon as they were out of earshot of anyone, Steve stopped in the hallway turned to Hetty. "He's no relation, is he?"

Hetty didn't answer immediately. Then she sighed. "He is Clara's son."

Steve felt the air rush from his lungs, but he tried to look only surprised. "I thought her children had died with her."

"So did we, at first. I found him years later, here, in an orphanage. Someone was looking out for him. His sister died in a drowning accident when she was eleven."

"What... what about their father?"

Hetty shook her head. "We never found him. I suspect he had some involvement in bringing Mr. Callen here, but he has yet to show his face."

Steve did not respond for several seconds. He couldn't think of what to say. Finally he nodded. "Clara would be glad you're looking out for him." He turned toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

**NCIS: Avengers**

It wasn't until Steve barged into the living room that JARVIS announced, "Captain Rogers is here, Sir."

Tony would have laughed except that Steve looked more angry than Tony would have thought possible. If people could storm, that would be what Steve was doing. Tony set down the report he was reading and considered asking what was wrong, but Steve was looking for something, and the glare on his face told Tony to remain silent.

"Where the hell is my phone?" Steve demanded.

Tony's eyes widened at Steve's tone and the content of his question. "You're always leaving it places. JARVIS?"

"Captain Rogers' phone is on the coffee table," the AI said.

Tony wasn't thrilled about Steve coming closer to him, but he picked up the phone and held it out to Steve. "May I ask who is on the receiving end of your wrath?"

"Fury," Steve said, hitting the button to call his sort-of-boss. "And Howard, I guess."

"Well, you can't really tell off dead people." Tony sat back to enjoy whatever was to ensue. He couldn't have anticipated the words that would come out of Steve's mouth as soon as Fury answered.

"You told me my children were dead."

Tony was glad he had already set down the report because he would have spilled the files all over the floor otherwise. Whatever Fury's answer to Steve's comment, it did not seem satisfactory.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You think you can just take everything from people and expect them to eat out of your hand? Consider this my official resignation, and if I happen to see you again, run in the other direction, because I'm not sure if I could resist putting _you_ into a 40 year sleep."

Steve hung up the phone and tossed it across the room. It didn't look like he put a lot of effort into it, but it shattered against the wall. Tony decided not to ask. Steve was far too angry to bother right then. Of course he was curious—dying of it, actually—but he held his tongue.

Steve left the room, still storming. Tony picked up the report off the table and started to read again. Then he thought better of it.

"JARVIS?"

"Sir?"

"Find out everything you can about Rogers. Focus on where he was from 1965 to '75. It should be in S.H.I.E.L.D's records."

"Do you think that is wise, Sir?"

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps Captain Rogers would prefer telling you about his past in person."

"I'm not good at that."

"Perhaps you should practice, Sir. It's only a suggestion of course."

Tony sighed. "Fine, JARVIS. Cancel that request. I'll talk to him."

"Very good, Sir."


	3. The Truth

**Thanks for all the reviews and favorites and alerts. It's great to know you guys like the story. Keep the comments coming!  
**

**Chapter Two "The Truth"**

As Hetty walked back toward the main room, Callen was waiting for her. She tried to look like she hadn't noticed as she headed for her office again. He knew better.

"How did he know my name?"

Hetty looked up, as if surprised. "He didn't."

"He recognized it. How?"

"As I said, he is a friend. I may have mentioned you once or twice."

"That kind of friend? He seems a little young to have that kind of clearance."

"He is older than he looks. Is that all?"

"No." Callen shook his head. "Thanks for letting me come back."

"What Granger doesn't know won't hurt him."

"That's not what I meant."

"In that case, you have only yourself to thank. It was your good reputation that saved you, not I."

Callen nodded once. "Thanks anyway."

Eric whistled, signaling a new case to review. No more needed to be said.

**NCIS: Avengers**

Tony found Steve on one of the decks overlooking the ocean. He still looked angry, but there was something else far more obvious in his features. Steve was sad. Not just the same old, I just woke up in a new century sort of sad, but more of a deep rooted sadness. Something that had been there for a long time. It made sense with what little Tony had overheard.

He stood in the doorway watching the steady rise and fall of his friend's bulky shoulders. Friend? When did that happen? Tony shrugged it off.

"So... You wanna talk about it?" Oh, yeah, that was lame.

Steve shook his head, not moving from his place at the deck railing. He was leaned forward with his elbows resting on the narrow metal surface that kept him from tumbling over the cliff.

"You have to admit, this is surprising. I mean, you never said anything."

"Can't you imagine why? You're the genius."

"True... So, you really don't want to talk about this?"

"He's 42 years old."

"Who is?"

"My son."

"Oh..."

"Fury told me they were dead right before Howard sedated me. I woke up almost 40 years later with no ties to anyone but S.H.I.E.L.D. That was what they wanted I guess."

Tony nodded even though Steve wasn't looking at him. "I'd quit too."

"It doesn't seem strong enough."

"Well, you did say 'hell' a couple of times. That's rare."

"I guess I did."

"Oh, now you're gonna feel all sorry for being angry even though you should be angry. I think you should go through with your promise to knock Fury out. That would be interesting."

"That's not going to fix anything."

"No, probably not. So, who is this guy? Steve Jr.? How did you find him?"

"He works for NCIS in Los Angeles. I was visiting a friend there."

"How do you have family in Los Angeles?"

"Mangalia," Steve corrected.

"What?"

"Romania. On the Black Sea coast. I was on assignment, working with the CIA. It's a long story."

"Sounds like it. I didn't know you had anything to do with the CIA."

"After I woke up the first time, I worked with a lot of people."

"So you met some girl, had a couple of kids, and then what? Mission went bad?"

"Her mission did. I was out of the country for a few months when her enemies caught up to her. The Comescus. Her father was an OSS agent who made a lot of enemies in Romanian crime families. They had killed him long before, but she and her mother escaped to the U.S."

"Why would she go back, then?"

Steve sighed. "Because I was there. I got her assigned to the same area I was."

"Sounds like Romeo and Juliet meets the Hatfields and McCoys."

"That's... a good description."

"And then S.H.I.E.L.D swoops in and takes the kids?"

"I guess so. They must have moved them here to keep them out of the way. Hetty said she thought someone was watching them."

"Hetty?"

"She was Clara's handler in the CIA, and now she runs the NCIS office of special projects in Los Angeles."

"So Clara was your..."

"Wife. No one knew, and she never changed her name. It was safer for all of us. At least we thought so."

"You only mentioned one son, but you keep saying 'them'."

"There was a girl, Amy. Hetty told me she died in a drowning accident years ago."

"Wait, does this Hetty know about all this?"

"No. If she did, she would have told me he was alive. And she said she thought the person watching them was their father."

"Not sure if you've thought of this, but when do you plan on talking to this long lost son of yours?"

"That is a very good question."

**NCIS: Avengers**

Hetty answered the door at eight o'clock sharp the following evening. She knew he would be right on time. It was almost irritating how predictable he was, but Hetty saw it for what it was; Steve was a call back to a simpler time. Or what seemed to be a simpler time. Hetty didn't remember it being any less complicated than her life was now. She was about to be surprised. And Henrietta Lange was never surprised.

She welcomed Steve into her vast home and offered him a drink which he accepted, though she knew alcohol had no effect on him. Then she showed him to the sitting room where soft music was playing in the background. She saw Steve recognize the tune from his own time.

"You really know how to entertain," Steve said, taking the seat Hetty gestured to.

She sat across from him. "It's the details."

"Speaking of details..."

Hetty noticed Steve's demeanor change. He went from relaxed and comfortable to nervous, even anxious. She frowned lightly. "What's on your mind?"

Steve sighed and set his glass on the low table between them. "There's something I never told you."

"I'm sure there are many things." Hetty sat back in her chair to listen.

Steve rested his arms on his knees. "I was the father. I was in Romania with Clara. We were married."

Hetty didn't reply for a long time. Her frown deepened. Then she set her glass next to Steve's. "Where were you all this time?"

Steve looked down at his hands. "Howard Stark and Nick Fury told me they were dead right before they put me back to sleep."

Hetty nodded. "Now I know who to take off my Christmas list."

"You said someone was watching them. Could that have been S.H.I.E.L.D?"

Hetty nodded slowly. "What would they want with Callen?"

Steve rubbed his hand over his face. "I don't know. But they were the only ones who knew he was alive until you tracked him down."

Hetty was glaring now. "Something is very wrong here. Have you talked to this Fury?"

"Briefly. I told him in the nicest way possible that I quit and may have suggested that I wanted to kill him."

Hetty looked into Steve's eyes, realizing for the first time the gravity of what he was saying. His family had been taken from him just as Callen's was. He had every right to be even more angry than he was... or seemed.

"What are your plans now?" she asked.

Steve leaned back in the chair and stared at the dark ceiling. "I don't know. How do I go about telling a man twice my age that I'm his father?"

"The same way you told me. I really should have known."

"Maybe I'm a better liar than I thought."

Hetty shook her head. "I did not want to know. Perhaps I was afraid that the truth might not be so easy to accept."

"This is easy?"

"I no longer have to believe that his father could have revealed himself but didn't, and now he will have all the answers I couldn't give him."

Steve nodded, still not looking at Hetty. "Will you go with me?"

She smiled softly. "Of course." Just then Hetty's phone rang. She would have ignored it, but she saw it was Sam calling. "Agent Hanna? Something the matter?"

"You could say that," came the response. "Sorry to bother you after hours, but I just got a call from the hospital. Callen was in an accident. I'm headed there now."

"What kind of accident?"

"I don't know. Sounds like he was on his way home, t-boned. That's all they'd tell me."

"I'll meet you there, Mr. Hanna." Hetty put her phone away and stood up.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked.

Hetty sighed. "Mr. Callen has been in a car accident. I suggest you come with me."


	4. Collide

**Thanks for all the reviews and such. I really appreciate you guys. Some awesome stuff happens in this chapter, so hang on tight! :D  
**

**Chapter Three "Collide"**

The streets were fairly empty as Callen drove home. He normally went to dinner after work, even if, or especially when he was alone. It made less time to sit in the still empty house with nothing to do. He still had a few hours left of that, and even if he did get a decent sleep, that was only a few hours for him. More time to try not to think of the two birthday cards on the refrigerator that Sam had given him since he learned Callen had never had one. More time to wonder whether the tree needed watering or if he should have the chimney cleaned.

Callen didn't waste his time though. Those things entered his mind briefly, and were quickly chased away with more useful pursuits like reading or exercise. When all else failed, and he was too tired to think but couldn't sleep, Callen would lie down on his bedroll on the wood floor and run images through his mind of the things he could remember, even the painful ones. His mother on the beach. His sister pulling him around in a Radio Flyer.

Callen didn't see the other car. The black SUV, actually. He had the right of way, and he was driving a little too fast. It probably saved his life.

The Tahoe slammed into his Aston Martin at full speed, sending them both flying across the intersection. Callen felt shards of window glass cut into his skin and a sharp pain reverberating through his left arm and side. He gripped the steering wheel as hard as he could and waited. His whole body was rigid, trying to avoid further injury.

The collision lasted all of five seconds before the two vehicles came to a stop in the middle of the street. As soon as the noise of metal scraping metal and shattering glass stopped, Callen heard a door and footsteps. Then heavy breathing. He blinked as he saw the slender redhead come into his line of sight. He realized he was leaning over the steering wheel because his seat had been pushed forward by the impact.

"I'm so sorry!" The girl's voice was a bit deep and smooth. "I'm calling 911 right now." Her hand reached through the open window and rested on Callens back. He tried to move, but it hurt, and she pushed down as if to tell him to stay in place. As she spoke to the operator, Callen noted a certain calm in her tone and demeanor. She should have been crying and stumbling over her words, but she wasn't.

"Hey, can you hear me?" She was off the phone now, trying to get his attention.

"Yeah." Callen heard the pain in his own voice, and didn't like it.

"Okay, just hang on. Help will be here soon. What's your name?"

He had to think about it. He couldn't remember what his answer was supposed to be. "Callen," he said.

"Callen, I'm Natalie. You're gonna be just fine. And don't worry about your car. My insurance will take good care of it."

"I... didn't see you."

"I was going to fast, and I missed the stop sign. It was totally my fault. Now, can you tell me what hurts?"

He had to think about that too. "My arm... and my side."

She nodded, her wavy hair bouncing around her face. "It looks like you might have some broken bones. Does your neck hurt? Or anything else?"

Callen almost shook his head, but thought better of it. "No. Just those things."

The girl withdrew her hand and brushed her hair from her eyes, smearing blood on her creamy skin.

"Are you hurt?" Callen asked.

She looked down at her hand. "No. The glass cut you up pretty bad. I'm gonna see if I can get you out, okay?"

"Yeah."

Natalie reached for that door handle, and with some effort, pulled it open. Then she undid the seatbelt from the emergency buckle inside the door. "Can you move your legs?"

Callen put one foot out onto the pavement, and pain shot up his side again. He couldn't hide the severe grimace it induced. But he kept it under control and moved his other foot out.

Natalie held out her arms and moved to his right side to avoid jostling his injuries. "Okay, watch your head," she said, as she pulled him upright. She was stronger than she looked. She helped Callen over to the curb, and into a sitting position. Just then they heard the sirens and saw lights coming closer.

"Thank you," Callen said.

"For almost killing you?" Natalie asked.

"For helping me out."

She smiled. "It's the least I could do."

**NCIS: Avengers**

Special Agent Sam Hanna stood in the waiting room. He did not sit, nor did he pace. He stood. The nurses told him more that way than they would have if he had been _too_ intimidating. After calling Hetty, he had sent Kensi and Deeks to the scene of the accident. It was probably nothing, but considering Callen's history of nearly being killed by random enemies, Sam wasn't taking any chances.

The news wasn't really too bad. Callen was lucky. The other car hit the back end of the drivers' side of his Aston Martin, shattering the windows and destroying the trunk and back door. Sam might have been the type to fix it, but Callen would probably take what he could get from the insurance and find a new car. He was just at commitment phobic with them as he was with people.

So far, Sam didn't really know the extent of Callen's injuries. He hoped for cuts and bruises. He would be content with a few broken ribs. He didn't think of alternatives. Callen had been hurt badly before, but he always pulled through it.

Hetty arrived sooner than Sam expected until he remembered that she drove even faster than Callen on an average day. But he was surprised at the young man with her. They guy couldn't have been more than 25, but he had the look of a soldier. Sam could tell by the way he walked.

"Some undercover mission I'm not supposed to know about, Hetty?" Sam asked, sizing up the new guy.

Hetty did not answer the question. "Sam Hanna, meet Steve Rogers. A friend."

Steve shook hands with Sam. Firmly. And looked him in the eye as he did so. "Nice to meet you."

Sam nodded. "You military?"

"I was. Army."

Sam gave a light smile. "You have the look."

"You too?"

"Navy. Long time ago."

Steve smiled back.

Hetty cut in. "How is our friend, Sam?"

Sam looked from Hetty to Steve and decided it was okay to respond if Hetty trusted this guy. "He's getting patched up now. Sounds like some broken bones, but I'm not sure. They said they'd let me know in a few minutes."

Hetty nodded once. "I'm sure he will be all right."

Sam didn't miss the look Hetty gave Steve, or how worried he looked. It roused suspicion that this Steve Rogers was more than a former member of the armed forces. He knew Callen somehow. He was concerned. But he said nothing as the three of them sat down to wait.

**NCIS: Avengers**

Callen phased in and out of awareness. He knew he was in the hospital having a broken wrist set and ribs taped. He knew his face and most of his left side were bleeding from tiny cuts. They stung and itched as the doctor cleaned them and removed the glass. He'd been through much worse pain before, so this didn't bother him. It was nothing like getting shot.

But something didn't seem right. Maybe how he never saw the other car or how calm the girl seemed. What was her name? Natalie? She acted like she knew him somehow. Maybe he had a concussion.

When the doctor was finished with him, and gave a list of instructions that Callen probably wouldn't follow, Hetty appeared in the doorway. She had clean clothes under her arm which Callen stared at, wondering where she got them.

"Sam brought these," she explained, "but I needed to talk to you first."

"Something wrong?" Callen raised his eyebrows. It hurt.

"You mean other than your near death experience." Hetty chuckled. "Not as such. But there is someone here who knows about your past. He's waiting to see you."

And like that all the air seemed to leave the room. Being in a car accident wasn't a big deal. Physical trauma had little effect on Callen anymore, if it ever had.

But this was something completely different. He'd spent all his life searching for answers about who he was, and now someone was here to give them to him. He tried not to get his hopes up. Even Hetty didn't know his name or who his father was. Maybe this person had a lead on that, or maybe it was someone who knew his mother like Hetty did. Either way, it was something Callen was never prepared for, but he didn't say anything or show it.

He took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change. Then he returned to Hetty and said, "Lead the way."

Hetty nodded and stepped back out the open door. For once, Callen wasn't bothered by her small stride because his painful ribs made walking a bit of a chore. They soon came out into the waiting room where Sam and the man from Hetty's office were waiting. Callen couldn't imagine what the young man would know about something that happened 37 years ago.

Steve stood up as the came into the room, but Hetty motioned for him to remain seated. He followed her lead and waited, staring at Callen the whole time.

"Captain Rogers, I think you should start at the beginning," Hetty said.

As Callen settled into one of the boxy chairs, he watched as the enigmatic man began to speak.

"You probably have no idea who I am," he said. "But if you've watched any news recently, you know about the attack on New York City. And though most of the video was of poor quality, people around there have begun to recognize me. What they don't know is that I'm not just some new version of 'Captain America.' I am Captain America. I'm 92 years old. I promise I'm going somewhere with this."

Steve met Callen's eyes. Meeting the real Captain America was definitely surreal, but knowing he had something to do with his past was what made Callen curious and a little uncomfortable.

Steve went on. "I worked with the CIA during the 1960s and '70s. That's where I met Hetty, and... and Clara Callen."

Once again, it was as if there were no air in the room. Callen couldn't believe what he was hearing. What he knew was about to come out of this man's mouth. He couldn't know of course. Maybe Steve Rogers worked with his mother. Maybe they were friends. But Callen knew, knew without a doubt, that this man sitting before him, this kid, was his father.


	5. Hiding

**Chapter Four "Hiding"**

Steve continued telling his story, but Callen was only half listening. He heard the important things: married in Romania, two kids, left the country for a while. He didn't need to hear the actual words to know what he had already deduced. But he had questions. He didn't even realize he was interrupting.

"What's my name?" he said, meeting Steve's eyes again. "My first name. What is it?"

Steve looked very confused. "Your birth name is Gregory James Callen. But I always called you Jimmy."

Callen couldn't speak around the lump in his throat. That was his name. It wasn't special, but it was his. He had waited all this time to know who he was. His name didn't make him, but it gave him a place to start.

"Wh-why did you call me that?" Callen managed to force the words out.

"Because I wanted to name you after my best friend in the war, but your mother wanted you to have the same initials as your grandfather."

"So no one ever called me by my first name? That's why I couldn't remember it?"

"Rarely," Steve said. "Unless you were in trouble."

Sam couldn't help a short laugh, and though he didn't know it, he diffused a lot of the tension in the room by recognizing the humor. The intense staring match between Steve and Callen settled down to a comfortable, curious gaze, and Hetty cleared her throat.

"This conversation might be better continued at another location," she said. "We don't yet know the circumstances surrounding this 'accident.' Best not to take chances."

"What did you have in mind, Hetty?" Sam asked.

She looked from him to Callen to Steve. "Mr. Callen should go somewhere no one would think to look for him. I hear Malibu is nice this time of year." She gestured at Callen. "And you certainly won't be coming back to work until those broken bones are healed."

Hetty didn't really leave room for argument, and neither Callen nor Steve really wanted to. Sam wasn't so sure about the setup, but he kept it to himself. The four of them went back to Hetty's house where Steve had left his car. Callen always kept an emergency bag packed in the trunk of his car, and Kensi and Deeks had been able to retrieve it and drop it off at Hetty's house before they both headed home. Hetty didn't tell them why Callen needed it.

Once everything was sorted out, Hetty sent Steve and Callen on their way. Sam lingered for a while after the taillights of Tony Stark's Spyder disappeared down the road.

"Was there something else?" Hetty asked, looking up at the relative giant next to her.

Sam hesitated a moment. "You... know this guy right?"

"Captain Rogers? Yes. I worked with him for several years. There is no reason to doubt him."

Sam shook his head. "It's something else. Maybe him showing up and the accident all at the same time. I don't know."

"What did Kensi and Deeks say?"

"Callen was speeding, but he had the right of way, so it was the girl's fault. Looked like she was in a hurry too. The accident investigators should have more information tomorrow."

"Then we will discuss it more then. Goodnight, Sam."

Sam nodded and headed down the steps toward his Challenger. "Night Hetty."

**NCIS: Avengers**

It was almost an hour drive from L.A. to Malibu. There wasn't much traffic this late at night, so there was nothing to focus on but the awkward silence in the car. Callen shifted in the passenger seat frequently, trying to get comfortable, but his broken ribs made that nearly impossible. His wrist hurt too, never mind the tiny cuts all over his left side.

Several times, it seemed as if Steve were about to say something. Callen wondered if it was okay to think of him by his first name, since he was technically his father. Every time, Steve would fall into silence again. Callen thought about saying something, but nothing came to mind.

Finally, Steve cast a split second glance in Callen's direction and asked, "You doing okay?"

Callen was slouching in the seat now. "You mean with the bleeding or you?"

"The—the bleeding."

"It'll pass."

"And me?"

"Not sure yet."

Steve nodded. "Fair enough."

"So this friend of yours, you trust him?"

Steve didn't answer for a second. "He won't tell anyone about you. He doesn't trust people."

"The best secret keepers." Callen stared out the window into the dark.

"Yeah."

"You aren't much of a conversationalist, are you?"

Steve paused. "No."

"You know, I've been waiting almost 40 years to find out who I am. I just thought you'd have more to say."

Steve rubbed his thumbs on the leather steering wheel. Then he sighed. "There are no words."

"I can think of a few. Like where you were. Why you never tried to find out what really happened. Why you're showing up now. There's more, but start with that."

Steve appeared to be thinking for a moment. "I was back in the States when it happened. They called me in for updates on the mission. I think they were getting suspicious that nothing was actually happening."

"They?"

"The CIA. They get irritated when you don't do exactly as they tell you to."

"I know. I'm surprised you managed to keep it all a secret from them."

"So am I. As for your second question, I was looking for you when S.H.I.E.L.D told me you were dead. Right after that, they sedated me and kept me asleep until last year. I did try to find out what happened. But when I woke up in a new century, I had accepted what they told me and left it at that. I wish I hadn't, but I still don't know why they lied to me. And that probably answers why I'm showing up now."

Callen didn't respond for a while. "I guess you can talk," he finally said.

**NCIS: Avengers**

Tony was beginning to wonder what had become of Steve. He couldn't help it' the guy seemed like the most boring square on the face of the planet, so the thought of him staying out late on a weeknight was unfathomable. Tony knew Steve was spending the evening with an old friend from his CIA days, someone who knew the last living relative Steve had. He still expected him to be home before ten.

Tony waited up. He would have been awake anyway, but he found that wondering where Steve was kept him from focusing on anything more important. It was well past midnight when he heard his car return, driving much faster than he thought it should be. Tony briefly wondered if Steve had worked up the courage to go see his long lost son, but he put the thought out of his mind.

However, when Steve came into the house with a second man following him, Tony realized that Steve had done more than visit his son. No matter how much Tony had analyzed the situation in his own mind over the last day and a half since Steve told him about it, he never could have prepared for how weird it looked to see the two of them standing side by side.

The son, whose name Tony still didn't know, was about half way between Tony and Steve in height. He looked almost old enough to be Steve's father, or at least a much older brother. But Tony notice some similarities in their eyes and the way they walked.

Tony stood up from the couch as they came into the living room. He didn't know how this would go, so he waited for Steve to say something.

What Steve said was not at all what Tony expected. "Sorry I'm late. You didn't have to wait up."

Tony almost laughed. "This is early for me. And I see you had a good reason." He nodded at Callen.

Steve acted like he had just realized there were three of them. "Oh, J—uh, Callen, this is Tony Stark."

"Callen?" Tony said holding out his hand.

"Apparently." Callen shook the offered hand. "I've heard of you."

"Don't believe everything you read in the tabloids. Only most of it is true."

Callen smirked a little. "I was talking about the incident here a few years ago. The Ironman."

"Oh, I suppose being in law enforcement, you would have heard of that. So, is this a family reunion, or what?"

"Hetty thinks someone might be trying to kill him," Steve said. "We knew this was a safe place."

"That's what's with the sling and the blood? Did they throw you out a window?"

"Ran into my car," Callen said. "But I don't think she was trying to kill me."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Totaled it?"

"I don't know. Probably. That was my favorite car too."

"I know the feeling." Tony thought back to all the vehicles he had destroyed, especially his Shelby. "And I let this guy drive _my_ favorite car." He jerked his thumb at Steve.

"Hey, I am a very safe driver," Steve argued.

Tony crossed his arms. "Except for your bad history with planes."

"Seventy years ago."

Callen had a funny look in his eyes. Like he was going to smile but didn't. "I'll be hearing that story eventually, I'm sure."

Tony spread his arms. "If you can get this guy to have a prolonged conversation about anything, you are more of a genius than I am."

Steve smiled. "I'll be sure to talk a lot to prove that someone is smarter than you."

Tony shook his head. "I was being poetic."

"Lying?"

"Potato, tomato."

**NCIS: Avengers**

Director Nick Fury walked along the corridors of S.H.I.E.L.D's New York headquarters. Upon entering his office, he heard the phone ringing. He put it on speaker as he logged into his computer to check up on some local operations.

"You're calling to tell me everything is going according to plan, Agent Romanoff?" Fury said.

"Mostly," came the response. "He doesn't suspect a thing, but he hasn't come home yet. I hacked into the hospital records, and he signed out an hour ago. I think he might be staying with a friend."

"That's a small pool to fish from. Shouldn't take you too long to track him down."

"There's something else."

"What's that?"

"I'm outside his house now, and a car just pulled up. There are... two people, a man and a woman. They're going inside. Looks like they have a key."

"Figure out what they're doing. There's no reason for them to suspect anything."

"No, there isn't. I think these two might be the ones who came to the scene of my little accident, though."

"Callen is paranoid?"

"Or his boss is. I'll let you know what I find as soon as I can."

"Good—And, Agent? Remember this operation is top secret. Just between us."

"Yes, Sir."

Fury hung up the phone and looked around the dimly lit office. It was very early morning. The building was silent. Turning back to his computer, Fury checked his email. There was a message from Agent Barton about the status of two of S.H.I.E.L.D's assets.

_Director,_

_Stark and Rogers arrived in Malibu two days ago. So far, Stark has kept to his schedule, but yesterday, Rogers took a trip to Los Angeles. I'm not sure why he was there, but he didn't stay long. It looks like he's going back tonight though. He seems to be acting very strangely. Does he know anyone in the area? I'll keep you posted on any other developments._

_-Barton_

Fury logged off and turned his chair toward the wide window. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. What was Rogers up to? And where was Callen. Fury couldn't help the unease that set in at the thought of those two running into each other. He hoped that wasn't the case.


	6. Castles in the Sand

**Thanks so much for all the reviews. I really appreciate your comments, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. This is probably my favorite chapter so far, so I hope you like it.  
**

**Chapter Five "Castles in the Sand"**

Kensi Blye looked around the front room of Callen's house. There was a chair, a lamp, a stack of books, his bedroll along the wall, and a small tree on the mantel next to the toy soldier. There were no pictures on the wall, no decorations. Kensi knew Deeks was right behind her, but she didn't try to hide the sad sigh at her first glimpse of how their leader lived.

"I think he spends a lot of time at Sam's house," Deeks said, as if to explain away the barrenness of Callen's living room.

"Yeah," Kensi said.

She moved into the kitchen which was the only cluttered part of the house with takeout cartons and empty beer bottles here and there. The sink was full of dirty dishes. Kensi looked away from it and noticed there were things on the refrigerator: two birthday cards from Sam and a few pictures of the team. She had to smile a little about that even though it was a sad testament to how little Callen had.

"Doesn't look like anyone's been here who shouldn't have," Deeks said. "I think Hetty might have been overreacting."

Kensi continued looking around the kitchen as she answered absently. "Hetty is never wrong. Something's going on, even if they haven't been here yet."

"Or maybe you're all just paranoid. Callen's an insane driver. People get in accidents all the time."

"He never has before. Nothing is an accident when it happens to Callen."

"I'm just saying we are probably wasting our time. Not that it isn't worth it."

Kensi turned around and faced her partner. "What do you mean?"

Deeks shrugged. "In the off chance there is something up, it's worth it to protect the family, right?"

"Family?"

"Well, yeah, you know, the team's like a family or whatever."

"It is?"

"Just... never mind. Should we check upstairs?"

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Whenever I challenge something you say, you back off. Why?"

"Um, oh, I don't know: you're terrifying, and I don't want to be more on your bad side than I normally am?"

Kensi didn't say anything for a moment. "I think it's nice you want to take care of those you care about. It's just weird to hear that coming from you rather than Sam or Hetty."

Deeks smiled. "I have hidden depths."

"Not really."

"Yeah, okay."

Kensi smiled back. "Come on. Let's finish up here and go get some coffee."

**NCIS: Avengers**

_The day was bathed in a pale golden light. Happy voices wafted across the sand and over the waves. There was laughter close by, then a voice that didn't sound like the other voices. It didn't use the same words._

_A tall man loomed over him. His shadow covered a lumpy mound of sand under the small boys hands. He felt the grit under his tiny fingernails, the damp clumps between his fingers. Had he always loved making sandcastles?_

_The deep, strange voice spoke to him again. He only caught a few words: "... beautiful castle..." The boy smiled; he could feel it all over his face. The man sat down in the sand, and the sunlight swept over the boy again._

_He dug his fingers into the sand again. It was so warm and inviting, he wanted to curl up and fall asleep on it. But someone grabbed his arm. He couldn't make out the words the man said this time, but suddenly, they were moving, running up the beach. He didn't understand. It was such a nice day._

Callen woke with a jolt. He quickly looked around the room and remembered where he was. Through the wall of glass to his left, he could see the ocean in the moonlight. He had told the voice that controlled the house to leave the windows as they were instead of darkening them. It made him nervous that the walls could change.

But it was nice to have someone to ask questions. "What time is it?"

"Three-twenty-seven am," came the reply.

"Is everyone else asleep?"

"No. Mr. Stark is still in his workshop, and Captain Rogers is outside on the balcony."

"Is that normal?"

"Yes, Sir."

Callen shook his head. "You don't have to call me that."

"What name would you prefer?"

He had to think about that. It might be weird to hear his first name coming from a machine. "I guess you can call me Callen."

"Will that be all, Mr. Callen?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Callen stood up and looked around the room. He'd been all over the world as all kinds of people, but he had never been in a place as nice as this. He felt a little homesick, and he realized he had never felt that before. He almost didn't know what it was.

As he started toward the door, Callen felt the effects of being t-boned by a very large chunk of metal. His whole left side was sore, his ribs most of all though, which made every movement a difficult maneuver. He was surprised he was able to fall asleep at all with the pain.

Thinking of sleep brought Callen back to the strange dream. He couldn't tell if it were a memory or something he made up based on what little information he had. The only thing he could do was ask Steve whether it actually happened or not.

He still thought of the man by his first name. He couldn't imagine that youthful face and think "dad." It wasn't normal. Though, the more he thought about it, the more Callen realized that nothing in his life had ever been normal, so this really wasn't so bad.

**NCIS: Avengers**

In a small diner not far from Callen's house, Deeks looked about ready to pass out in spite of the third refill of coffee he had just received. Kensi watched him curiously, trying to figure out what had him so drained. They both worked the same hours, and of course, Kensi was tired too, but she didn't feel that bad.

She twisted the edge of a napkin between her fingers and stared at the sticky Formica tabletop. "Is something bothering you?" she finally asked.

Deeks looked up from his coffee mug, hair in his eyes. "Nothing much. Just... Did you see that car across the street before we left Callen's house?"

"Yeah. Didn't look like there was anyone in it, and it didn't seem out of place."

"It's just that I don't remember seeing it in any of the surveillance photos Hetty gave us, and it had a perfect vantage point of Callen's front door."

"Okay... so you think someone _is_ watching him? Why have someone run into his car? What does that accomplish?"

"Maybe they needed him out of the way for something."

"We don't have any evidence that it wasn't an accident, and maybe someone got a new car. There's nothing we can do about it now."

"We could go back."

"Deeks."

"What? Remember what you said about me backing down all the time?"

"So you want to stakeout his house?"

"It's not like there's any point going home now anyway."

Kensi put up her hands. "Fine. We'll go fight over the chair in Callen's living room."

Deeks smiled, but his heart wasn't in it. "Sounds like fun."

Kensi stood up but didn't smile back. She left some money on the table and reached for Deeks' arm. "Come on."

**NCIS: Avengers**

Steve wasn't sure how he felt about the sound of waves crashing to the shore. The longest time he had spent near the ocean were the eight years in Mangalia. He remembered it being beautiful and comfortable in spite of the danger he faced there on a regular basis. He thought it had more to do with his family than the location, and the feeling of being near the ocean again confirmed it. It wasn't half as nice alone.

It was cold this early in the morning with the constant breeze coming off the water, even so high above it. Steve wasn't especially fond of cold, but he was still wearing the jacket he'd had on at Hetty's house, so he wasn't bothered by it. He could almost feel comfortable in lieu of sleep.

But there was still the loneliness. The same feeling he'd woken up with all those months ago. The difference was that he had thought his whole family was dead, and hadn't had any time to come to terms with it. Now, he had found his son, but somehow, he didn't feel any different. It wasn't real. He wasn't Jimmy anymore. Steve couldn't even bring himself to use that name.

He shook his head at the thought. Steve Rogers had never been afraid of anything, but here he was unable to talk to his own son. Before he could think about it anymore, he heard the door open and close and footsteps crossing the wide balcony. He wasn't ready for this, but he didn't have a choice now.

Callen stood a few feet away and rested his free hand on the railing. "Nice view," he said.

Steve didn't take his eyes away from the black horizon. "You couldn't sleep."

"Got a couple of hours. That's average for me."

"Maybe you got that from me."

"It's a better explanation than I've been able to come up with. Nate always blamed my bad past and identity issues."

"Nate?"

"He was our operational psychologist."

"Where is he now?"

"Off saving the world somewhere even I'm not allowed to know. What does this have to do with anything?"

Steve shrugged. "You mentioned him. If there's something you want to talk about, maybe you should start because I haven't been around for the last 40 years."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want... was there a time we were at the beach and we had to leave suddenly?"

Steve finally looked at Callen, his hands tightened around the railing. "Yes. You were barely four. I saw someone coming toward us, and I knew he was one of them. That was when everything started to get bad, I guess."

"I had a dream. I... remember it."

"You were making sandcastles. You didn't want to leave."

"I—" Callen looked down at his hand. "I was doing the same thing the day they shot Mom." He closed his eyes for a long time and breathed in and out through his nose.

Steve started to fight the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes before he realized he shouldn't. He had grown up believing that men shouldn't cry, but he could see how upset Callen was. It was obvious he wasn't trying to hide his emotions.

So, Steve moved closer and put his hand on his son's shoulder. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. He hoped it was good enough. He had never known how to comfort someone else, and he was trying not to think of the fact, that he hadn't had much time to process his wife's death.

Callen surprised Steve by turning toward him and wrapping his good arm around Steve. He rested his forehead against Steve's shoulder and didn't show any signs of letting go. Steve put his arms around Callen's shoulders, careful not to jar his injuries. He wasn't used to a lot of hugging, but he figured for his son, he could make an exception.


	7. Everyone Has Secrets

**Sorry for the wait on this one. I've had a crazy couple of months. Thanks to my beta reader, Autumn Fury for reading this chapter super fast, and to all my readers out there. I'm really glad you like the story because I'm happy with where it's going. So with out further ado...  
**

**Chapter Six "Everyone Has Secrets"**

Amy brushed her dark blonde hair from her eyes and stared at the computer screen. The rest of the dimly lit room faded from her awareness as the images before her solidified in her mind. No matter how many times she told herself it couldn't be real, she kept coming back to the fact that there was no way she would mistake him, even after all this time.

Amy wouldn't say she had a photographic memory, but others often accused her of it. She didn't believe there was such a thing, just differences in how minds worked. But she couldn't ignore the fact that her father seemed to have stayed the same age for the last 40 years.

The official story on the news and from Amy's other sources of intel, was that the man leading the charge against the alien invasion in New York was a lookalike, a second generation Captain America. Amy knew it was all a lie. She knew what S.H.I.E.L.D was, even if she didn't have any solid evidence of what they actually did. She knew they were the ones watching her as a child.

Amy closed her computer and shoved it into her shoulder bag. She shut off the flickering lights in the dingy apartment and locked her door. As she headed down the hallway to the building exit, Amy thought of all the time she had spent trying to figure out what had happened to her father after he left Romania. The people who took her and Jimmy to America said he was dead, but she didn't believe them. Amy knew her father was more powerful than that. And she knew he would come for them if he could.

Many people told her to give up, that it had been almost forty years, and he was probably long gone. But Amy couldn't give up. She spent every day of her life since her mother's death fighting to get her family back. She couldn't see her brother because everyone had to think she was dead. He was safer that way, and she could go on gathering intel on S.H.I.E.L.D without them catching up to her.

It was a cool morning for New York in the early summer. Amy was glad of that as she pulled on her light jacket and headed down the street. It was quite a distance to her goal, but she enjoyed walking and did not easily tire, and something about the city made her feel at home, like she was meant to be here.

**NCIS: Avengers**

When Kensi and Deeks arrived back at Callen's house, the strange car was still there. They couldn't tell if anyone was in it without looking conspicuous, so they acted like they hadn't noticed it, just in case they were being watched.

As they got to the front door, Kensi thought that they might already look suspicious for coming and going in the middle of the night.

As she looked around the living room again, Kensi realized that there here really wasn't anywhere to relax in the house, and she would almost feel wrong doing so. Even though it was late, and she was tired, Kensi knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

"I'm gonna look around upstairs again," she said as Deeks sat down cross-legged on the floor. Kensi laughed in her head as she thought of Deeks doing Yoga in Callen's living room. She climbed the stairs again. She didn't need to go over the house, but she didn't like sitting still in an uncomfortable situation, and staying in Callen's empty house would definitely qualify as uncomfortable.

Something drew Kensi to the master bedroom again. There was actually a bed, but it didn't look like anyone had slept in it recently. The dresser had a few odds and ends scattered across the top. Kensi didn't really pay attention. Her eyes scanned the room and came to rest on the floor beneath the window next to the bed.

There was a muddy leaf stuck the the carpet. Kensi moved quickly over to the window. The latch was undone. Pushing the panel upward, she saw what she was looking for: a small footprint on the white sill. The angle of the read told Kensi that the person was going out when she left the mark. It was obviously a woman because of the size of the foot.

Kensi looked out into the yard, but couldn't see anything in the dark. She turned back to the room and saw what she had missed when she came in. One of the handles of the top dresser drawers had been flipped up, while all the other hung down like the were supposed to. Kensi took a pen off of the dresser and pulled the drawer open to see what the intruder might have been looking for.

Inside she found various bits of paperwork such as speeding tickets and utility bills. None of them had Callen's real name on them. Kensi closed the drawer again, careful not to smudge any fingerprints that might be there. She had a feeling it was time to call for backup on this.

Downstairs, Deeks had fallen asleep on the floor, half on Callen's bedroll, and half on the wood. Watching him Kensi decided she would wait for morning to tell him of her findings. He just looked so peaceful, and it had been a while since she'd seen him that way.

**NCIS: Avengers**

The building could only fairly be called a monstrosity. Amy liked the massive scale of New York, but this seemed to be overkill. She didn't take the main entrance, doubting she would gain admittance that way. She found a service door around the back and slipped in while someone was making a delivery. It would be a challenge getting to the upper floors from here, but Amy was always up for that.

In the end, she found some stray coveralls and a hardhat, and was able to take the service elevator up to the floors that still needed renovating.

From there, Amy ditched her disguise and took the stairs. Most people probably forgot that stairs existed in a building like this, but she knew she would be out of site that way. Once she reached the floor she wanted, Amy carefully exited the stairwell and crept through dimly lit corridors.

Finally, she found what she was looking for. The open area still didn't have new windows, so the breeze came into the room, making it feel less like a skyscraper. There was still quite a bit of debris littering the floors around the room, though the place didn't look abandoned. It was definitely used. This was what she wanted.

"Who are you?" a nervous, but firm voice called out.

Amy turned away from the window to see a woman standing there wielding a piece of rebar. She looked quite put out and quite serious.

"It's okay," Amy said, putting her hands up. "I'm just looking for someone."

"In an abandoned section of the building?"

"Someone very special." Amy smirked.

"I think you need to tell me what you're doing here. Right now."

"Fine. Can we sit down and introduce ourselves then?" Amy gestured at some couches to her right. "I don't like telling my life story to strangers."

The woman lowered her arm. "Fine. But I have security on standby."

Amy moved toward a seat. "I'll go first. My name is Amy Callen, and I was born in Mangalia, Romania."

The woman sat across from Amy. "I'm Virginia Potts, but most people call me Pepper."

"Nice to meet you, Pepper." Amy folded her hands on her lap. "I'm here because I'm looking for my father. This might surprise you, but his name is Steve Rogers."

Pepper stared without blinking for a moment. "Are—are you certain?"

Amy nodded. "He married my mother in 1967. I was born soon after. As far as I know, they were both undercover, which is why we kept my mothers name."

"We?"

"My brother and I."

"But S.H.I.E.L.D put Steve under in 1975."

"Yes. I was almost eight and my brother was five. It was right after our mother was murdered. S.H.E.I.L.D relocated us to Los Angeles to keep us out of the way I guess, but they were always watching. Soon I was separated from my brother, and when I was eleven, I fell into a river and was presumed dead, though they thought I was my best friend, Hannah, because no one paid much attention to unwanted orphans there."

"Wait. Where did you go then?"

"A man helped me escape. I can't really tell you about him since it's classified, but he also helped S.H.E.I.L.D lose track of my brother for a while, though I have a feeling they'll be keeping tabs on him again."

Pepper sighed and stared out the window. "Why didn't he ever say anything?"

"Because they told him we were dead too. Listen, I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but I really need to find my father, so do you know where he is?"

Pepper made eye contact with Amy again. She could see now that the woman bore some resemblance to Steve though she looked much too old to be his daughter. Pepper nodded. "He's in Malibu. I can take you to him."

**NCIS: Avengers**

After getting the call from Kensi about the intruder in Callen's house, Sam decided he should pay his friend a visit, just to be sure he stayed put. That's what he would say anyway. Sam didn't want to admit to being worried about Callen when he was clearly safe with his superhero father.

Maybe Sam was a little jealous. To be realistic, he had been Callen's only family for the last five years, and he had gotten used to it. He always expected Callen's father to be a criminal anyway. Or at least not quite so... good.

It was pretty hard to beat Captain America, and Sam had a sinking suspicion that Callen wouldn't need him around nearly as much anymore. That should have been a good thing, but part of Sam didn't want to let go of the relationship he had worked so hard to build with his partner.

Maybe he was worried about nothing. Callen would still be his partner, after all. They would always be friends. Right?

When Sam saw the house Hetty had directed him to, he started to have second thoughts. If this was the kind of place his father lived, Callen could pretty well stop working and spend the rest of his life making up for lost time. Sam should have been happy for that, but he wasn't.

When he reached the front door, there was a single gray button. He pushed it and waited.

A voice came out of nowhere. "Mr. Stark is unavailable today. Would you like to make an appointment for Monday afternoon?"

Sam frowned. Who the hell was Stark? "No, I would not. I'm here to see G. Callen," he said.

"I'm afraid you have the wrong address."

"I'm afraid you're lying. This is the place he came last night. Captain Rogers gave us the address. You can ask him. I'm Callen's partner, Sam Hanna."

"Please wait a moment."

The moment was a lot shorter than Sam expected, and soon enough, he heard the uppity British voice again.

"You may come in. Please proceed straight ahead."

The door opened on it's own. Sam was expecting to see someone on the other side, but the hallway was strangely empty. However, the house itself was grandiose. Everything in it advertised wealth. It made Sam slightly uncomfortable, though he would never show it. As long as Callen was okay, he'd play along for a while with whatever this was.

Sam finally came out into what seemed to be a living room. There was a piano and a TV and a half circle of couches. Beyond that were glass walls revealing a wide balcony overlooking the ocean.

"Mr. Stark will be with you in a moment," the voice said.

Sam almost jumped. "Where are you?"

There was a significant pause. "Here."

Sam frowned. "What's your name?"

"I am JARVIS. Mr. Stark's artificial intelligence."

Sam blinked rapidly. "So you're not a person?"

"That depends on your definition. You may think of me as a computer if it helps you."

"So who is this Mr. Stark?"

"That would be me," a voice behind Sam said.

He whirled around to see a much shorter man standing in the doorway with grease smudged on his forehead. He certainly didn't look like the kind of man who owned a house like this with a computerized butler.

"And JARVIS is a person," Stark went on. "Or rather, has personality. I programed him that way."

Sam only nodded.

"Not much of a talker? Fine. You want something to drink?"

Sam shook his head.

"I told JARVIS to let you in since he couldn't tell you where your friend is," Stark said as he walked over to the counter at the other end of the room and poured himself a drink. "Officially, Rogers isn't even here, so you understand."

"Sure," Sam said. "Where is Callen?"

Stark turned back to Sam. "Sleeping. I think. Something to do with pain meds and insomnia?"

"Sounds like Callen. Is Rogers here, then?"

"Went for a run or something like that. Probably halfway to Mexico by now, but he should be back before lunch. Guy eats like a horse."

Sam's discomfort increased as he found himself stuck with this strange man he wasn't entirely sure he liked.


	8. Revelations

**Thanks to my awesome beta reader, Autumn Fury, for taking time out of her busy schedule to read this chapter. And thanks to all my awesome readers out there. You guys make this worth the blood, sweat, and tears... the characters' not mine. ;-)  
**

**Chapter Seven "Revelations"**

Tony watched the new intrusion into his life pacing the living room. He wouldn't say he was intimidated. Tony Stark was not intimidated. But the man's presence was not to be ignored. He was huge for one thing. In spite of obvious differences, he was a lot like Steve. They had the same walk, the same movements. Except that Steve behaved less like a caged animal most of the time.

Of course, Tony would never admit that Steve intimidated him a little bit too. After all, the guy was Captain America. It was kind of hard not to feel slightly insignificant next to him. Not that Steve wanted or even knew that people felt that way. This Sam Hanna was probably no different.

"I'm going to have to replace my floors," Tony finally said from his spot on the couch.

Sam stopped pacing. "Am I bothering you?"

"Little bit. Relax, big guy. It's not like your friend is going to vaporize in his sleep."

Sam glared at Tony. "I don't understand why he's still out. It shouldn't have been that strong."

"I don't think he went to sleep until morning. I'm sure you can imagine he had a lot to talk about with his father."

"You don't find that the least bit odd?"

"What? Steve with kids? Insanely. But I think you mean that your friend's dad is half his age. That's... sufficiently unnerving."

"You don't seem _unnerved_."

"What can I say?" Tony leaned back into the couch cushions. "I'm unflappable. Mostly."

"So what's your connection to all this? How does Steve know you?"

"You don't know? Wow. You need to watch more TV. And, you know, go outside once in a while. It's been all over the news lately."

"I've been busy."

"Oh, right, taking care of national security and all that. You seriously didn't hear about the aliens?"

"I heard about it."

"And the guy in the metal suit?"

Sam laughed. "Oh, you mean 'Iron Man'?"

Tony frowned. "No need to sound so impressed."

"That was you?" Sam shrugged. "Well I guess you did fly a nuke into outer space."

"Yeah. That."

"So you guys hang out together when you're not working?"

"If you haven't noticed, Captain 1942 isn't exactly fitting in quite yet. Guy needs a little help here and there, you know?"

Sam nodded, but he might have been smirking.

**NCIS: Avengers**

Amy settled into the plush seat on one of Tony Stark's private planes. This wasn't exactly how she imagined today going, but it was a nice turn of events for once. She didn't need to tell anyone where she was going. No one expected her back in Langley for a while.

Though the ride was comfortable, Amy couldn't help feeling that Pepper was still suspicious of her. In her place, Amy would have been too. It wasn't as if someone showed up everyday saying they were the child of your acquaintance. Still, Pepper seemed to believe it in the way she had offered to take Amy to him so quickly. Which made Amy herself suspicious. Maybe Pepper had something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe she had already told them that Amy was alive.

But Amy prided herself on being a good judge of character. The fear she had seen in Pepper's eyes as she threatened Amy with stray building material was real. Something about Pepper seemed trusting. Amy didn't know what would await her when the plane landed, but she didn't worry about it. There was nothing she could do until she got there.

"Are you hungry?" Pepper asked as she sat down across from Amy.

Amy shook her head. She didn't get hungry easily. It was an asset in the field how long she could go without eating.

"Why did you never try to find him before?" Pepper changed the subject.

Amy stared out the window. "I did." She tapped her fingers on the armrest. "For almost forty years, I've been separated from my brother because I didn't want them to find him until I could find our father. I knew we wouldn't be safe until then." Amy looked at Pepper. "You said S.H.I.E.L.D put him under. What did you mean by that?"

Pepper blinked rapidly and twisted her fingers in her lap. "Steve was... asleep for nearly 40 years. They knew he would survive because it had happened to him before during the war. He crashed a plane into a chunk of ice somewhere in Greenland and stayed frozen there for over ten years. I only know what he and Tony have told me about it and what was in the Avengers files."

Amy nodded. "That's why he didn't come find us."

"Makes sense. Except why S.H.I.E.L.D would put him to sleep and why no one seems to know you exist."

Amy looked out the window again. "There's something else going on. S.H.I.E.L.D has some deep dark secrets, and we need to figure out what they are."

Pepper looked out her own window. "Yeah. Tony will love that."

**NCIS: Avengers**

Steve had been running for a good hour when he decided to turn around and head back to Tony's house. He was taking it easy, so he hadn't gotten nearly as far as he could have if he'd wanted to. He didn't expect Callen to be awake anytime soon, but he felt a measure of discomfort being so far from him. After their conversation the night before, Steve felt closer and somehow farther away from his son than he had ever been.

He had expected a long run to clear his head, but it was doing nothing for the warring thoughts and emotions that Steve couldn't seem to reconcile. A part of him he had forgotten was still horrified at the news of his wife's death, while another side he never knew existed was overjoyed that he had found his son. Steve didn't know what to do with all of that.

So, he ran.

By the time he got back to Tony's house, Steve wasn't even winded, and he noticed a car in the driveway he had seen before. He remembered it pulled up behind Hetty's car when they arrived at her house after leaving the hospital.

Steve had been expecting Callen's partner to make an appearance. He gave off the air of the overprotective, and Steve knew it well. He was glad someone had been there for his son when he wasn't. It made him think that maybe the two of them were not as alone in the world as he suspected.

As he walked inside the house, he heard voices coming from the living room. He recognized both, and as he suspected, Callen was not one of them. Coming into the room, he saw Tony sitting on the couch and Sam standing near the window but facing in.

"Have a nice run?" Tony asked, only half sarcastically.

Steve got some water from the bar along the wall. "Wasn't long enough," he said.

Tony checked his watch. "You were gone for two hours."

"Yeah." Steve didn't miss the brief expression of surprised that crossed Sam's face. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Sam glanced from Tony to Steve. "Not exactly," he said. "Someone broke into Callen's house last night. Don't know if they took anything, but Kensi found a woman's footprint on the bedroom windowsill."

"Well that's interesting," Tony said, standing up and walking over to the window. "What was the name of the girl who hit him?"

"Why the sudden interest in the case, Stark?"

Tony looked at Sam. "What was her name?"

"Natalie Rushman."

"Figures." Tony moved back across the room and set his empty glass on the counter.

"What?" Steve asked. "Who is she?"

"You know her as Agent Natasha Romanoff. Or as you like to call her: Ma'am."

"What's she doing breaking into his house?"

"You said S.H.I.E.L.D hid your kids from you? They must have known where they were. I'm betting Fury sent her to keep an eye on him. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Why would she do that?"

"She does what she's told. Probably doesn't even know he's your kid."

"Wait," Sam said. "You two know this girl?"

"She worked with us for a while," Steve said. Then he looked back at Tony. "How did you know her alias?"

"Used it on me once." Tony shrugged. "Point is, if she's supposed to be keeping an eye on Callen, it won't be long before she finds out he's here."

"Doesn't seem like her to be so sloppy," Steve's voice betrayed a concern they were all feeling at this turn of events.

"No," Tony agreed. He suddenly turned to Sam. "Wait, you said your people searched the house?"

"Yeah, they were there off and on all night."

"They must have interrupted her. No way she would have left footprints otherwise."

"Sounds like a nice girl," Sam said.

"We need to find her," Steve said. "If she knows what's going on, she can help us."

"Not that she would," Tony interrupted.

"And if she doesn't," Steve went on, "then I think it's about time we informed her."

**NCIS: Avengers**

It was late morning when Callen finally woke. He felt sore all over, but his wrist especially was bothering him. He groaned as he sat up and put his feet on the floor.

"Would you like me to call for assistance, Mr. Callen," JARVIS asked.

"No," Callen replied. "Just need a shower."

"Straight ahead and to your left. Shall I inform the others that you are awake? I believe a colleague of yours arrived this morning."

"Who?"

"Agent Sam Hanna. He was very adamant to speak with you, but I was informed not to reveal your presence, so I told Mr. Stark, and they have been in the main floor living room ever since. Captain Rogers has recently returned from a run, as I understand."

Callen nodded, mostly to himself. "Yeah, go ahead and tell them I'll be down soon."

"Very good, Mr. Callen. Will there be anything else?"

"Maybe something to eat?"

"I shall be sure there is something ready for you when you are finished."

"Thanks, JARVIS. For someone who isn't human, you're sure a big help."

"Thank you, Sir. I do try."

Callen had to resist laughing at the strangeness of talking to a computer. More to spare his painful ribs than from any illusion that the IA had feelings. Then again, maybe he did.

Once he had finished his very careful shower and gotten dressed, Callen made his way down to the living room where the others were waiting. He felt like he had slept all day as late as it was, even though he couldn't have gotten more than four hours of sleep all night. It felt like a lot.

As he entered the living room, everyone was standing, and it looked as if they had just finished a deep conversation.

"I miss something?" he asked.

Tony handed Callen something that vaguely resembled a tablet computer with a personnel file open. There was a picture. "Look familiar?" he asked.

"Yeah, she was in the Tahoe. Who is she?"

Steve sighed. "She's a S.H.I.E.L.D agent," he said. "They know where you are, and by now, they probably know that I've found you."

"So what do we do about it?"

"Looks like you get to stay for a while," Tony said. "Not such a bad deal."

"No, I have a job, I have—"

"Hetty's orders," Sam said. "This agent broke into your house last night right after she nearly killed you. We don't know what her intentions are, so for now, you're staying out of sight. You weren't supposed to be back to work until Monday anyway."

"This is stupid. I don't need to hide from some sloppy agent who couldn't even kill me right the first time."

"She didn't mean to kill you," Steve said.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know her, and I know that she wouldn't mess up something like that. I also know that S.H.I.E.L.D wants you for some reason. Why else would they tell me you were dead? The best thing to do is for you to stay here and heal up while we find Natasha, and your team keeps her from finding anything she shouldn't."

Callen saw a look in Steve's eyes that was hard to argue with. He looked terrified.


End file.
